A Time to Play
by EstelRaca
Summary: Nick takes Maya and Pearl on a day of fun and adventure around the city, trying to give Maya a chance to open up after all that's happened. Set post-Trials and Tribulations.


**Author's Note:** This is set after Trials and Tribulations (in the midst of Ace Investigations, for those watching timelines carefully). It was written for the prompt of Maya finally having a really good day where nothing horrible happens. I also wanted to give Maya a chance to really come to terms with all the horrific things that happened to her and the major changes in her life.

 _A Time to Play_

The day after the truth of her mother's death is revealed, Maya returns to Kurain Village to plan her mother's funeral.

There isn't much planning that's needed, for better or worse. Her mother, perhaps suspecting what might happen, perhaps not wanting to be a further burden on Maya should she die unexpectedly, left a fairly complete set of instructions. What isn't written is filled in by the remaining elders of Kurain Village, Maya's older aunts and second cousins and assorted other family members dictating how the various ceremonies should go.

It is an important event, after all, the death of the Master of Kurain.

Almost as important as the inheritance of the title, though Maya feels little like a _master_ and more like... like what?

Like a child, following thinly-veiled instructions from adults who are suddenly far more solicitous of her than they were before?

Like a pawn, her extended family—because she now has no immediate family, will maybe never have immediate family again—whispering contradictory claims in her ears as they try to direct her 'for the good of Kurain'?

At least it's an emotion, the faint feeling of frustration that sometimes rises as she signs her name to documents and gives the expected permission for events to move forward. At least it's better than the numbness that seems to take up residence in her chest at other times—a numbness she tries to hide, especially when Pearl is around, because her little cousin is suffering, too.

Because she must be the big sister that Pearl deserves, must somehow erase the stain that Dahlia and Iris have added to the girl's understanding of family.

She must be the Master that Kurain needs, must learn to play the politics and be the channeler that they need to succeed and, maybe, thrive again.

She must be everything to everyone, calm and collected in public, on her guard in private, and she should really be grateful for the numbness.

The numbness makes it that much easier to do what must be done.

XXX

Nick comes to the funeral and cries for her.

Not for her mother—he didn't know Misty Fey well enough to cry for her, though he tells Maya that he wishes he had been able to get to know her. Wishes the past had been different, that Misty had stayed with Maya and Mia, that so many things hadn't happened...

But his tears, when he cries quietly during the small ceremony, Pearl held in his arms, are for Maya.

For the family that she has lost.

For the duty that she has gained.

"I'm sorry." He tears up again when he finds her after the ceremony, singling her out of the crowd with bloodhound tenacity. He wipes fiercely at his eyes with one hand, and the tears go, but sorrow still shines from his red-rimmed eyes. "I didn't mean to cry. Hope it didn't embarrass you. I just... I hate seeing you hurting so much."

She has not cried. She thought that she might, during the funeral, but she hasn't, the numbness having reached up and frozen her tear ducts. Summoning up a smile, the same one she has used on Pearl over the last few days, she tries to wave away Nick's concern. "It's all right. I'm all right. It's not like I knew my mom that well, anyway. Didn't even recognize her when we were standing right in the same room."

Nick's eyes widen slightly, and there is more concern on his face now, not less.

"I mean, I'm sad, and it's a lot of new work that I have now, but it's fine. I'm fine. I'm handling everything just fine." Maya hurries on, stumbling words off her tongue faster than she has been allowed to for days. Even if she says the wrong thing, with Nick she will be able to take it back, change track, pretend it never happened. "Things going well back at the office? Things haven't fallen apart without me there?"

"Things are always harder without you there." Nick smiles, his affection and joy just as open as his grief and frustration and sadness, and Maya has to restrain herself from hugging him.

She is the Master of Kurain, and there are people here at the funeral she has never seen—people who would never have talked to her a week ago, when she was a nineteen-year-old spirit medium—and she will not let anyone get the wrong impression. "I'm sure you've got it covered, though. Plus you can always ask Mr. Edgeworth for help, if you need to—I'm kind of bummed I missed him pretending to be a defen—"

Nick waves a hand frantically. "We're trying not to say those words and Edgeworth's name in the same sentence, at least for a while—don't want him getting in any trouble. Though he's already headed back overseas—apparently he left a lot of dangling threads when he charged over here to help us."

"I can imagine." Maya thinks of all she has had to do in the last handful of days—all that she has been told she will need to do in the near future—and shudders. Not wanting to think on it further, she falls back on the tried-but-true tactic of teasing Nick. "Though chartering a private flight spur of the moment is a pretty good declaration of friendship."

Nick smiles again, an expression that manages to mix fondness with exasperation—his default emotional reaction to his old friend, it seems. "Also a good declaration of having ridiculous amounts of money, but I'm pretty sure that part doesn't surprise anyone."

"You can do worse than having millionaires on your side." Reaching out, Maya gives Nick's arm a brief shove. She resists the urge to grab onto the fabric of his suit—black, one of the few times she has seen him willingly wear anything other than blue—and beg him to stay. There are some things she can't change, and his work and hers being different—his world and hers being different—is one of those things, no matter how well they pretended for a few years.

"I've got the most amazing friends on my side." There's an edge of sadness to Nick's smile now—a knowing edge, and Maya can't quite draw a deep breath as his eyes seem to pierce through her.

Seem to pierce through the numbness, to the molten core underneath, but she can't allow that right now. Returning his smile with a chipper one of her own—but not too chipper, after a moment, as her eyes catch on one of her frowning great-aunts—Maya extracts herself from the situation before things can get any worse. "You do. I should keep making the rounds, though—lots of people still to wish me condolences on the loss of my deadbeat mom."

There's a little thrill to saying the words, though she drops her voice to a whisper so only Nick can hear. They're not kind words—not even true, she manages to convince herself half of the time. Misty loved her enough to die for her; the fact that she didn't love her enough to live with her, or was hurting too much from other wounds... that's not worth thinking about, given the circumstances.

"Maya..." Nick grabs her shoulder, keeping her from backing away. His expression shifts, crossing so many emotions it makes Maya's stomach clench in sympathy pain—sorrow, anger, fear, frustration, helplessness. Finally it settles in determination, though—the look he wears into a trial, when he is certain of their client's innocence and not going to let anything keep them from proving it. "Come back down with me. Come spend a day at the office—we'll do something fun. You and me and Pearls. Go to the amusement park, maybe."

"I can't, Nick." Maya blinks back sudden tears of her own, her voice growing thick. "I'd love to, but there's so much I need to do here, so much we have to set up with the inheritance—"

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow." Nick speaks over her. "But soon. Come see me soon, Maya. I think we both need it."

If she answers that—if she voices how dearly she would love to run away with him, to be Maya the legal assistant with the odd fashion sense instead of Maya the new Master of Kurain—she will break. She will burst into tears and she will cling to him and she will frighten Pearly and she will show to everyone how ill-prepared she is for this task.

So she just nods, a brief, jerky motion, and pulls away from him.

It takes only a few minutes of talking with a creepy old man who can't seem to keep his eyes on her face for the numbness to replace the aching need that Nick's offer brought to the surface, and by the end of the service she is smiling with mechanical ease, once more buried in the persona that she will have to use for the rest of her life.

XXX

Nick waits for twenty-eight days.

Four weeks, though he calls daily, checking on her and asking how things are progressing, filling her in on what he has been doing. Not much on his end, after the first ten days or so, once Godot's trial is done and all the loose ends are tied up, but she likes talking to him anyway, even if every time they hang up he insists that she come see him soon.

Considers it the highlight of her day, actually, the one thing she looks forward to, though she dreads waking less and less with each day.

She can do it, if given time and preparation. She can be a good spirit medium, and she can be a surprisingly adept politician, and she can be the Master of Kurain, if she tries. Can even enjoy it, sometimes—the way she can give closure to people. The way she can give closure to herself, and she spends a great many nights channeling her sister off and on so that they can write messages back and forth. The way she can use what power Kurain has to try to do what Nick is doing in the legal system—try to make things more just, more right, more fair.

And if she has to sacrifice herself to do that, if she has to put aside the girl who loves super heroes and burgers and being a legal assistant...

She literally runs into Nick the morning he comes to take her home with him—and that is how she thinks of it, as going _home_ when she returns to the Wright Law Offices, as going back to the place she most belongs.

"Nick!" Maya's voice comes out as a squeak, and she stares up at the man standing non-chalant in the corridor, his arms crossed across his chest and a far-too-proud-of-himself grin on his face. "What—how—why-"

"How is simple—I took the train, which means I was up _ridiculously_ early, but you're worth it." He uncrosses his arms, still looking proud and cocky. "What and why are interconnected, so I'll answer those together, if the defense doesn't mind."

Maya can feel her own lips turn up into a grin, Nick's emotions, so recklessly displayed, just as catching as always. "I think, since I'm doing the questioning, I'm more the prosecutor at the moment."

"Well, you are distinctive enough to be a prosecutor..." Nick doesn't manage to keep a straight face for more than a second before his grin is back. "But, to answer the question before the court, I am kidnapping you and Pearls, so that we can go see _this_."

Nick pulls a trio of tickets from his pocket, brandishing them as though they were weapons—or decisive evidence that he was displaying to the court.

Grabbing his hand, Maya peaks at the tickets and feels a high-pitched squeak slip out of her throat. "These are for the _front row_ , _center stage—_ oh my God, Nick, how did you get these?"

"Methods." Nick's grin manages to grow wider, if that's possible. "But they're non-refundable, good for today's live show only, and that means you and Pearls had best pack your bags and come with me, doesn't it?"

"I—" She shouldn't. She should be a responsible adult—the responsible Master of Kurain—and stay here. She should practice, and meet with politicians who will ask for her assistance now though they will deny any knowledge of her or belief in her practices should they meet on the street, and otherwise devote herself to—

Screw that.

Nick just came to get her with tickets to the Steel Samurai and Pink Princess live show that must have cost him a half a year's salary in hand.

She can reschedule meetings. She can pick up her training again tomorrow, or the day after.

For today—for just one more glorious, beautiful day—she is going to Maya Fey, Phoenix Wright's partner.

XXX

They leave their bags at the law office, where Phoenix has posted a note regretfully informing any potential clients that he is away for the day. Maya checks on Charlie, giving him more water and giving Phoenix a brief tongue-lashing.

"I'm sorry, Maya." Phoenix has the good sense to look sheepish, at least. "Plants just don't like me. Guess it just means you'll have to come down every once and a while and check on him."

Maya can feel her body stilling at the suggestion, desire and reality once more warring.

"But that's something to discuss later." Nick hurries on, though there's that flash of sympathy and understanding in his eyes again. "Right now, we've got to decide how to spend the rest of the day, since the show doesn't start until eight this evening."

"What should we do, Mystic Maya?" Pearly is practically jumping up and down as she looks between Nick and Maya, a smile—a real smile, the kind Maya doesn't think she's seen from the girl since this whole mess started—spread across her face.

"Food first." It's an easy enough declaration for Maya to make.

Pearly nods, still all eager energy. "What kind of food?"

"Well..." Maya turns to watch Nick, knowing what he's expecting. "There's really only one type of food that's appropriate for the three of us, though..."

Though she has become, over the last month, acutely aware of money—of how much everything costs, and how easy it is to lose track of. Given the tickets that Nick was waving around before Maya carefully stowed them on her own person...

"Burgers it is, then." Nick gives a long-suffering sigh, like he would have if this was two months ago or two years ago or any time before everything changed. "Maya, you're going to turn into a burger one of these days, you know?"

"Well, technically I don't think there's anything keeping us from making burgers out of people other than the whole, well, they're people and cannibalism is bad—"

"Also illegal." Nick makes the addendum, considers, and then shrugs. "Though I suppose bad is actually worse than illegal."

Maya and Pearly debate which burger joint they want to go to while Nick locks up the office.

When they're walking down to the train station Nick leans over, whispering in her ear. "Don't worry about money, Maya. It's not important, and I promise we've got enough very legal funds to do whatever you want to do today."

Maya eyes Nick speculatively. "That could be a very dangerous promise to make."

Nick smiles, though a flicker of what looks like concern colors his face. "So long as you don't want to suddenly jump on a plane to Hawaii, I think we'll be all right."

The only place she wants to be is the place that she is right now.

Maya can't say that to either Nick or Pearly, though, so she just squeezes Nick's hand, grins, and races Pearly down the stairs to the subway turnstile, Nick following with a shout and far more panting than the brief sprint should really elicit.

XXX

"This is wonderful." Maya pops the last of her ice cream cone into her mouth with a heartfelt sigh. "Nick, that was the best lunch _ever_."

"I have no idea how you ate two jumbo burgers, all those fries, _and_ an ice cream cone." Nick looks faintly green as he studies her. "But I'm glad that you enjoyed it."

"Me, too, me, too!" Pearly shoves the rest of her own ice cream cone into her mouth before licking rather futilely at her hands. "I enjoyed it, too. I think I may need to find a rest-room soon though, Mr. Nick. My ice cream ass-old-dead me, and now I'm all sticky."

Maya is surprised to find herself laughing as Nick's face contorts, the lawyer clearly trying to find a gentle way to correct Pearly on what the word she's looking for is. "That's all right, we'll get you cleaned up. The important thing's that you enjoyed it!"

"Enjoying life is the most important thing about it." Clearly deciding that as he is not a parent, it isn't his job to fix Pearly's vocabulary, Nick smiles as he gingerly picks up the girl and perches her on his hip. "We'll find somewhere to clean you up, promise. What direction do we want to head in, though? Do we want to go to the park or to a museum or...?"

Nick and Pearly both turn to Maya, who finds that she actually enjoys them asking her for her opinion on what they should do. Perhaps because they are actually doing just that—asking _her_ opinion, not demanding that she share theirs or tacitly looking for approval of their own. Turning her face up to the sky, a beautiful blue with just the faintest traces of white cloud, Maya smiles as the sun warms her skin. "It's too pretty to spend the day inside. Let's go to a park—either the amusement park or a different park...

"Amusement park it is." Hiking Pearly higher onto his hip, Nick starts walking.

Maya falls in beside him. "You know you'll only be able to hold her like that for five minutes, max."

"That's not necessarily true—"

"It is, Mr. Nick." Pearly continues to lick at one of her chocolate-covered hands. "You're kind of a weakling."

"Thanks, Pearls." Nick sighs. "I feel so loved and appreciated right now."

Pearly looks up at him, her small body suddenly tense. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nick! I like being carried by you, and I didn't mean to make you sad by saying you're weak—"

"It's okay, Pearls." Nick smiles down at the girl, though his gaze finds Maya a moment later, including her in his smile. "I was just teasing."

"Nick knows that he's loved and appreciated." Hands clasped behind her back, Maya walks half-backwards so that she can smile at Nick. "We can name the day the Phoenix Wright Love and Appreciation Day, though, if it'll make you feel better."

"What about the Pearl Appreciation Day?" Phoenix bounces Pearl once, and Maya notes that his arm is already starting to shake slightly but doesn't say anything. "Or the Maya Appreciation Day?"

Maya can feel her cheeks burn as she shakes her head. "Nah, all way too specific. Fantastic Flawless Feisty Friends Finally Frolicking Day?"

Pearly claps her hands. "I don't know what all those words mean, but I like that one!"

"It's got good alliteration." Nick allows Pearly to slide down to the ground, ruffling the girl's hair as she tries to keep up with them. "I think we'll keep it."

XXX

"Never again." Nick kneels on the ground, both his hands flat to the pavement. Maya had managed to help him stumble over to a relatively clean patch of pavement before he collapsed, at least. "Never ever again."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nick." Pearly hovers around the shivering attorney, her small fists waving in front of her. "Is there something we can get you? Do you need water? Or something to eat?"

"I need to never, ever leave the ground again." Nick leans forward, resting his forehead on his hands, looking for all the world like he's kissing the ground. "This is it. I'm going to plant myself here and never move."

"Nick, it was just a ferris wheel." Maya rubs her hand in a gentle circle on Nick's back, soothing away the tremors. He's not quite as bad as Mr. Miles Edgeworth is after earthquakes, since he's still talking to them instead of catatonic on the ground, but heights have clearly gone from something he doesn't enjoy to something that is viscerally distressing to him. "You know how safe those things are? They're tested all the time. And it's not even that big a ferris wheel."

"It was big." Nick draws a shuddering breath and forces himself into a sitting position. "Very big. Ridiculously tall. Why would anyone want to be that high up?"

"I thought it was pretty neat." Pearly presses her index fingers together, looking nervous and uncertain. "I'm sorry you didn't like it, Mr. Nick. But it was so fun to see everything spread out and all the people looking like little dots and—"

Nick pulls Pearly into a tight hug, ruffling her hair as he does. "Pearls, I am very glad you enjoyed it. I think every kid should have an opportunity to ride one at some point, because you're right, it does give you a different perspective on the world. But if we could not _talk_ about that perspective, for a few hours at least..."

"Awww, come on, Nick." Maya gives Nick's shoulder a little pat, then offers him a hand to help him back to his feet. Giving what she hopes is a mischievous smile, she nods her head in the direction of the ride attendant. "We have to be able to talk about what happened. How else am I going to get to tell Mr. Edgeworth and Detective Gumshoe about what that lady said? How you were 'the first man she'd ever heard crying like a child because of a little bump in the ride'?"

"Maya, you are _not_ going to tell anyone about that." For a moment Nick looks honestly concerned, and Maya reaches out to give his hand a little squeeze. She doesn't want to hurt him; she also doesn't want to see him stay like this, afraid of heights because of something he did on her behalf. Looking down at their joined hands, then back up into her eyes, Nick gives the tiniest nod. Of understanding? She hopes so. "All right, what's the price I have to pay for no one to find out about this debacle?"

"Well..." Maya does a quick inventory of the rides, crossing out anything that involves going more than five feet above the ground. "How about a trip on the paddle boats? What do you think, Pearly?"

"That sounds fun!" Pearly claps her hands. The girl finds just about anything outside Kurain Village to be fun, though, and Maya vows that she will not let herself get so caught up in the village's needs that she will forget to give Pearly days like this. Days like Mia gave Maya, when she can see what the rest of the world is like, when she can learn about the culture that they are both a part of and forever separated from by their abilities. "Could we also do the pony rides?"

"And maybe the haunted house!" Maya claps her own hands, mimicking Pearly's enthusiasm—making it all right for Pearly to be so happy and enthusiastic. "We can both hide behind Nick if something scary happens."

Nick narrows his eyes. "You both can channel ghosts. I feel like I should be able to hide behind you—well, at least hide behind Maya."

"Oh, come on, don't you want to be our big brave brother?" Maya grins as Nick blushes slightly. "We also definitely have to do the carousel—that's a great one!"

"And take pictures with the badgers." Pearly stops in contemplation for a moment. "Most of the badgers, at least. The Bad Badger kind of scares me."

"You don't have to worry about any badgers." Maya leans down so that she's at eye level with Pearl. "If any badger tries to be mean to you, just throw Mr. Nick at them."

"Maya..." Fond exasperation fills Nick's tone now, completely erasing any tremble of fear that had lingered from the ferris wheel.

"What? You're my favorite weapon, Nick. Not always the sharpest, but sure to get the job done."

Nick sighs, rolling his eyes; Maya can't help but laugh as she leads the way to the boats.

The sky is clear again, after a brief stint of rain, and she has the best family in the world with her.

There is nothing more she could want right now.

XXX

"Niiick, we're going to be late!"

"We are not going to be late." Nick looks completely unperturbed, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, seemingly oblivious to the crush of children and mothers pushing past them and into the auditorium. "We still have a good twenty minutes before the show starts, and I told the rest of our party we'd meet them here."

Pearl is _not_ oblivious to the people around them. She keeps one hand clenched on Phoenix's sleeve, her other covering her mouth as she watches people walk by. Some are in cosplay—Maya's favorite so far has been a mother, father, and child with very good costumes imitating the Pink Princess, the Steel Samurai, and the Samurai Infant. Nick actually looks right at home, little Pearly at his side—one more father or older brother bringing a younger family member to see the show. Maya, depending on how close she stands to them, looks either like another sibling or like one of the giggling women slipping into the theatre in groups of two and three.

"Arrgh!" Maya tries to tamp down her frustration, which is difficult since pacing is out of the question unless she wants to get swept up in the throng. "Weren't they supposed to be here ten minutes ago?"

"They were, but I'm sure something came up." Phoenix shrugs. "He'd call or text me if he wasn't going to be able to make it. Not that I think he'd miss this for the world."

 _He_. It's the first time Nick has let drop a specific pronoun. Who else among their friends would be interested in going to see a Steel Samurai live show—an expensive Steel Samurai live show?

"Aaaaah!" Maya's shriek of dawning comprehension draws several stares, but the people turn away after a moment when she does nothing else interesting. "It's him, isn't it? _That's_ how you were able to afford this! It's all been on Prosecutor Edgeworth's dime!"

"Not all of it." The soft, droll response comes from just behind her, and Maya spins with a gulp to see the man in question. His silver hair is immaculately parted, his suit pressed, and if Maya didn't know where they were standing she would assume he was heading for a day in court. The fact that Detective Gumshoe is standing—well, looming, in an awkward, cute way—behind him doesn't do anything to break that image. "Wright put a pretty penny towards this excursion, as did some of our other friends and acquaintances. A gift from us to you. A poor showing of affection, perhaps, but we do what we can for those we... care about."

And he _bows_ to her, the silver-eyed man she has become very fond of over the years, like a knight to a princess, and Maya finds herself, for once, speechless.

Edgeworth straightens, crossing his arms in front of his chest in a gesture that is almost defensive. Not quite, though—it isn't until he starts hugging one arm that he's really nervous or upset. "I apologize for being late. There were circumstances beyond our control. I do believe we're still in time, though...?"

Nick pauses for a moment, his eyes narrowed, and Maya takes a second look at the prosecutor. Notices dark smudges beneath his eyes, as though he hasn't slept much; notices a slight tilt to his head, as though he's got the start of a headache or is having difficulty hearing. Then Nick smiles, giving his shoulders a little shrug, clearly deciding not to press the issue. "Let's go get seated and you two can fill me in on everything I'm not going to understand about the show."

"Me too!" Pearly nibbles on the thumb on her free hand. "You'll have to explain things to me, too, Mystic Maya!"

"I'll be very happy to do that, Pearly." Taking Pearl's free hand, Maya leads the way into the theatre, brandishing the tickets proudly.

She's at a Steel Samurai show, with front row seats and the best people in the world.

For just a few hours, she'll pretend everything in the world is perfect, because she's seen enough of the imperfection to last a lifetime.

XXX

"I'm _sure_ it was episode six when he first perfected the Samurai Chop!"

"It was first _attempted_ in episode six, but it wasn't until episode seven that he actually succeeded in using it to do anything other than make his enemies laugh." Edgeworth shakes his head, giving her the same _tsk_ that he gives to Nick when Nick makes a misstep in court.

Maya finds that she likes him tsking at Nick more than she likes him tsking at her. Narrowing her eyes, she decides it's time to play dirty. She's found that there's usually one certain way to make older male fans of the show uncomfortable. "Episode seven was the one where they filmed the confrontation so that it looked like the Evil Magistrate was leaning in to kiss the Steel Samurai."

"It was." Edgeworth's mouth turns up into that smirk that says he's still in charge of the conversation. "A cute bit of cinematography, heightening the tension for the intended scene as well as giving their secondary audience what they want. I take it _you_ are a part of that secondary audience?"

It's too ridiculous, walking out of the theatre next to Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, talking about slash pairings and secondary audiences with regards to children's super hero shows, him looking so _serious_. Before Maya can help it she's laughing, a giggle that blossoms into a chuckle and then a full-out gale of mirth.

Edgeworth's step falters, his upper body leaning away from her, his eyes piercing her as though she's something dangerous and unpredictable.

Maya sobers quickly, wiping at her eyes. It has only been in the last few months that the prosecutor admitted to having an interest in the shows she adores. She shouldn't tease him _too_ badly about them. "I will slash people, but not usually the hero and the villain. I tend to like the chemistry between friends and allies more."

She manages not to glance between Nick and Edgeworth when she delivers the very true statement, something she's proud of.

"Ah, well..." Edgeworth collects himself, arms crossed, one finger tapping. "I suppose that makes you a part of the secondary audience, though a much more reasonable part."

" _You're_ part of the secondary audience, too." Poking his arm gently, Maya grins up at Edgeworth. "Not the one they think of most—that would be the mothers of the children they are targeting—but since we're not eight, I think it's safe to say we're part of the secondary audience."

"Heroism has no age limits." A softer, more genuine smile touches the corners of Edgeworth's mouth, an expression Maya sees so rarely it's almost as intimate as a hug. "I hope that you enjoyed the show?"

"It was amazing." Maya sighs in contentment. The two-act live show had been absolutely fantastic, everything she could have wished for. Their seats had been wonderful—close enough that she could see all the detailing on the costumes, and Nick may have had to stop her once or twice from reaching out toward the stage. "Thank you so much!"

"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to accompany you. I... quite enjoyed myself." Again Edgeworth smiles that soft smile.

Giving in to her instincts, Maya throws her arms around the prosecutor, hugging him as tightly as she can. A muffled _urk_ that seems more surprise than protest is his first response, but after a moment he returns the embrace, patting her awkwardly on the head.

Pulling back, blinking away a sudden rush of silly tears, Maya grins up at Edgeworth. "I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself. You've got the best memory for Steel Samurai factoids of anyone I know."

"Yes, well..." Clearly caught half-way between embarrassment and pride, Edgeworth looks away from her. "It's been quite enjoyable talking with you about the show."

Nick gives a soft laugh. "It's been interesting watching the two of you go at it. The things I have learned..."

"That's because you need to watch the show!" Maya pouts up at Nick, though she can't keep the smile off her face for more than a few seconds. "Then you can talk to me about it, too."

"Something to think about for the future." Edgeworth raises one pale eyebrow, clearly trying to indicate something to Nick.

Something that Nick understands, she thinks, from the way he smiles, but she doesn't.

Then the moment passes, they are outside the theatre, and Edgeworth and Gumshoe both glance down at their watches with a frown.

"Sir, we're going to need to—"

"I know, Detective." Edgeworth's chest moves in a silent sigh. "I'm afraid that we'll have to take our leave now. I thank you all for a lovely evening. I hope it was an enjoyable time for everyone."

"I loved it!" Pearly clings to Nick's arm still, both her fists wrapped in the fabric of his suit.

"You're not coming back to the office with us?" Nick tilts his head slightly.

"I'm afraid I have to go in to the prosecutor's office still. There are some things that won't wait until tomorrow morning."

Both Nick's eyebrows rise. "It's going to be after eleven by the time you get there."

"Probably much later." Rubbing at the back of his neck, Edgeworth gives another sigh. "But that's fine. This was an event and company that I couldn't miss."

Grabbing the prosecutor's hand in a firm shake, Nick pulls him into a half-hug. "You take care of yourself, all right?"

"Same to you, Wright. And don't forget to give her the packages."

"I'm not going to forget!"

Gumshoe grins as he takes Nick's hand for his own handshake. "Yeah, Mr. Wright's not like me. And don't you worry about Mr. Edgeworth, I'll make sure he stays safe. You guys have a great evening, and thanks for letting me tag along, Ms. Maya. It was lots of fun!"

"It was." When Gumshoe offers her his hand, Maya instead pulls him in for a hug. "Thanks for coming with us."

Gumshoe's hand pats gently at her head, a surprisingly natural gesture from the giant, often-awkward man. "No problem. I'm glad Mr. Wright could get you down here for it. It's all well and good being the Master of Kurain, sounds like a big thing, but you're always going to be our little Maya Fey, troublesome assistant."

"Yes... well..." She's going to cry. She's sounding like Edgeworth, unable to articulate emotions, and she's going to _cry_ if she stays in the big lug's embrace, so Maya hastily disentangles herself. "Not to sound like a broken record, but thanks, and I hope the night doesn't end up too long!"

"No night is so long that there isn't a dawn to break it." Bit of poetry recited, Edgeworth bows to her once again. "Safe journeys and calm harbors, Maya Fey."

And with that they're gone, Gumshoe following Edgeworth, Edgeworth's gait picking up a sure, half-predatory glide as they head towards the car park.

To investigate a murder?

Perhaps. Probably. It's what Edgeworth does, after all.

But he also spends time with her and Nick, talking about the Steel Samurai.

 _Because_ of her and Nick, he's become the type of man who can both hunt crime and debate pairings with her.

And because of him and Gumshoe, she and Pearly and Nick are all still alive and together.

She's done good.

She's made a family for herself and a separate place for herself and she's done _good_ as Nick's assistant.

"Come on, Maya." Nick's hand—the one that Pearly isn't attached to—closes on hers. "Let's go back to the office. There's cake and a few other things there I think you'll like."

"Okay." Leaning her head against Nick's shoulder, Maya lets him guide her through the dark streets, content to be right where she is.

"Mystic Maya?" Pearl's voice is sleepy, and she is leaning against Nick even more heavily than Maya is. "What's slash?"

"Um... well..." Maya straightens, looking over at Nick.

Nick shakes his head. "I'm not the one who brought it up. You or Edgeworth can explain it to her, and since I highly doubt that Edgeworth's going to be amenable to it..."

"It's a type of story." Maya sticks her tongue out at Nick. "A type of romance story, written about characters from a show or movie or book or video game."

"Oh. Okay." Pearly accepts the answer easily, resting her head on Nick's arm again.

Nick raises one eyebrow; Maya just gives him a triumphant grin. She knows that the best way to deflect questions from the younger girl is to give her an answer that seems boringly ordinary. Nothing Maya said was untrue, per se, and she'll make sure to explain some of the finer points of slash before Pearly stumbles upon it on her own.

But that's a discussion for another night, not for this windy, beautiful one, and Maya skips ahead, pulling Nick and Pearly along behind her.

XXX

"That was the best cake ever." Maya sighs in contentment, flopping down into her chair again. "I also think I'm done moving for the night. I am now going to meditate and become one with this chair."

"You're welcome to do that." Nick has the little smirk on his face that says he knows she isn't going to. "Guess that means I get to keep your gifts, then..."

"Noooo!" Maya waves her arms around wildly as she pushes her way back out of the chair, earning a giggle from Pearly and a grin from Nick. "You can't take away my gifts!"

"Well, if you insist..." Nick gives a long-suffering, very feigned sigh. "Pearls, do you want to do the honors?"

"Yes!" Pearly leaps to her feet, covering a yawn with her hand. Maya's going to need to make sure she gets to bed soon.

Pearly heads over to the closet, and returns a half minute later with a package that is half as big as she is.

"What the..." Maya studies the package as Nick helps Pearly hike it up onto the desk. "Nick, how...?"

"It's not just from me. There's a card here." Nick points at the envelope taped haphazardly to the side of the strangely-shaped package.

Maya rips open the card, her eyes scanning over the clearly-personalized message to the list of names beneath. Nick's signature she recognizes immediately; Pearly's careful scrawl is also obvious. Edgeworth's name is very neatly signed; after some work Maya manages to make out Larry's haphazard scrawl. Gumshoe and Maggey sign their names side-by-side with the same pen. A handful of other names, people they have met repeatedly—Lotta Hart, Wendy Oldbag, Meekins—fill in the rest of the card, and Maya finds herself blinking back tears again.

Shoving the card away, Maya attacks the wrapping paper on her package, forcing a smile. It's surprisingly easy—perhaps because she _is_ happy, to be here, to be loved, and _floored_ , in a way, that so many people would go so out of their way to...

"Oh my god." Maya stares at the figure that has been revealed. "Nick, this is...!"

"It is. The limited edition Steel Samurai box set, with the Steel Samurai crouched defensively above the entire series on both DVD and blu-ray." Nick grins, though there's an anxious cast to his face, as though she hasn't quite reacted like he wanted her to. "Everyone chipped in for it, and we all thought it would be something you could like and use. Decoration for your room, you know?"

"It's fantastic." Maya smiles, and she can feel her lips trembling but she doesn't let any tears fall. "Thank you so much, Nick. I'll have to tell everyone else thanks, too—or send cards, I suppose."

"We can be pen-pals!" Pearly yawns again, and her eyes are drooping.

"That's right." Maya pats Pearly on the head. "We'll have so many pen-pals! It'll be amazing."

"Uh huh." Anything else Pearly wants to say is swallowed by another yawn.

"Come on, you. Let's get you to bed." Maya gives a yawn of her own, half-feigned, half-true, hopefully enough to make Pearly feel like Maya's trying to get them _both_ into bed rather than shuffling Pearly off because she's younger.

"Bed sounds good." Pearly nods, before trotting over to Nick and enveloping him in a tight hug. "Thank you for today, Mr. Nick. It was really awesome, for both me and Mystic Maya."

"You're very welcome, Pearls." Nick's hand is gentle as he strokes it through Pearly's hair, and before Maya can ask him to he's gathered the girl up into his arms again. "Bedtime it is, though, before Mr. Nick turns into a pumpkin."

"You can _do_ that?" Pearly gives a little startled gasp.

"Yep. If a defense attorney stays out past midnight, _poof_ , they turn into a pumpkin."

"No way!" Pearly frowns. "You're just teasing me, Mr. Nick."

Maya shrugs and grins. "Who knows what happens to old people? Maybe that's why they never want to go out at night."

"Maya, I am not old!" Nick's indignant protest is cut off by a yawn of his own.

Taking pity on him, Maya gathers up her presents—there are smaller boxed figures under the larger one—and helps prepare Pearly for bed.

Even if she doesn't want the morning to come, it will anyway, and it'll be best for them all to face it well-rested.

XXX

Pearly drops off to sleep as soon as she's placed in the guest bed; Maya isn't so lucky.

After twenty minutes of trying not to toss and turn so she doesn't wake her little cousin, Maya crawls out of bed and out to the couch.

Her Steel Samurai is sitting on the table, the outline just visible in the shadows of Nick's apartment. Hugging her knees to her chest, Maya studies the form, trying to sort out the tangled knot of emotions that she can feel filling her chest.

"Maya?" Nick's voice is soft.

"Hey, Nick." Maya smiles, raising her head and patting the sofa next to her. "Sorry; I just couldn't sleep, so I decided to come out here."

"I... thought you might have some trouble sleeping." Nick settles down next to her, flipping the lamp on the table next to him on as he does. It casts the room in a soft yellow light.

"Yeah?" Maya can't think of what to say after that, so she just settles her head back on her knees.

"Do you... not like your present?" Nick's tone is hesitant, uncertain—one of the few times she's heard him use that tone with her. "We can always get you something else—I'm pretty sure Edgeworth would love the set, if the way he stuttered when I told him my plan is anything to go by. I'm guessing his eyes lit up, too, but he was overseas, so all I can testify about is his tone."

A half-chuckle that sounds too much like a sob slips out of Maya's mouth at Nick's conspiratorial tone, and she hugs her knees just a little tighter. "How long've you guys been planning this?"

"About two weeks." Nick draws a deep breath. "Once I was pretty sure you weren't going to come see me on your own, I figured a little... intervention might be nice."

"I'm not sure Steel Samurai live shows and box sets are usually considered an intervention." Maya swallows, trying to find the right words to say what she needs to say. "And I absolutely love what we did today, and the gift, I just... don't know where I'm going to put it."

"I would suggest your room, but you're free to put it in your office, too. Or really anywhere in Kurain Village that'll make you happy." Nick reaches out, laying his hand hesitantly atop her knee. "Make _you_ happy though, Maya, no one else. Because you've been doing a really good job lately making sure everyone _else_ is happy, and it's... got me worried about you."

"About me?" Maya tries to hit chipper with her tone, but she can hear for herself that it comes out closer to desperate. "I'm fine. I'm the new Master of Kurain. Everything is perfect."

Except it's not, not even remotely, and even as she says the words they shred something in her chest, break open a dam she hadn't even recognized was present, and tears begin cascading down her face.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The words come out garbled and twisted, torn into meaningless pieces by her sobs.

Nick doesn't hesitate, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug like he has only a handful of other times—at her sister's funeral, after she was rescued from Shelly de Killer, after the trial for her mother's death. He's murmuring something, but she's not sure they're even words—if they are, her mind can't seem to parse them into meaningful sounds.

After what seems like forever but must only have been a minute or two she manages to calm her breathing, to slow the flow of tears and settle more comfortably in Nick's arms. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Nick's hand strokes gently down her hair—just like Mia used to do, a long time ago, when they were little and Maya was frightened or hurt. "I've... been waiting for you to do that for about a month now, actually."

"What, to cry like an idiot?" Maya sniffles, hoping she hasn't gotten Nick's pajamas _too_ snotty. Even among family, that's just embarrassing.

"To _let_ yourself cry." Nick pulls back, so that he can lift her chin so that they're eye to eye. "To stop being the Master of Kurain or Pearl's cousin and just... be Maya Fey, who lost her mother and the life she was leading all in one fell swoop."

Nick's words set off another crying fit, though Maya manages to keep this one shorter. When she can breathe again, she shakes her head. "I didn't lose a mother. I never _had_ a mother. Not being able to recognize her makes that pretty clear, I think."

"You lost the chance of a reunion. You lost possibilities and hope." Nick's hand smoothes through her hair again. "You lost a lot that night, Maya."

"Mia was more like a mother to me than Misty ever was." The words come out in a whisper, feeling like blasphemy and betrayal.

"Mia was a wonderful woman." The way Nick says the simple phrase makes it clear how very much he believes the words. "And I wish she was here with you, to help you through this."

"Me, too." Maya draws another sniffling breath through her nose and coughs. "Though... only if you were here, too. You're... a pretty amazing big brother."

Nick's cheeks flush bright red, a grin spreading across his face. "You think?"

"I know. And I'm going to be all right." Drawing a deep breath, Maya finds that she really means the words—really believes them. "I hurt, right now—more than... I think I was willing or able to let anyone see. But I'm good at my job—good at being the Master of Kurain..."

"If that's what you want to do." Nick's thumb runs down first her right cheek and then her left, wiping away the last of the tears. "But don't make yourself do it, Maya. Do it because you want to. You've got a whole long life ahead of you, and I want it to be brilliant."

"I... do want to. Be the Master." Maya swallows. "Mia... didn't. I think, even if she hadn't died, I would have ended up with the title. And I'm good at channeling. I can do good things with it. But it's so much _work_ , Nick, and I want to be _here_ , too, but I can't be in two places at once and—and—and—"

And she's going to start crying again, if she isn't careful. She's going to break down once more over something that neither of them can change and—

"You can have both, Maya." Nick's arms are wrapped around her again. "Not like it's been, no—not living her full-time with me, but there's no reason you have to sacrifice _here_ for _there_. Misty was missing for how many years?"

"But that's what let Aunt Morgan—"

"Your Aunt Morgan made her own choices, choices I think she would have made whether or not your mother was still around." Nick continues to hold her tight. "But don't let that family of yours make you sacrifice who you _are_. Don't let them take away me and Miles and Detective Gumshoe and everyone here. Don't let them take away _you_ , the girl who can face down her sister's killer and love the Steel Samurai and be absolutely _fantastic_ , no matter what she's doing."

"They—they're not—"

"Maybe not intentionally." Nick pulls back again, his face set in a fierce expression. "But they didn't let you grieve. They _have_ made you self-conscious about not being enough of an _adult_ , haven't they?"

Maya finds her eyes traveling toward her Steel Samurai, the metal gleaming in the soft light. "They... can be very aware of... protocol and perceptions."

"And that's fine. Good sometimes, even." Nick's fingers tighten on her arms. "But not when they use it as a weapon against you. I won't allow that. _None_ of us here will allow that."

"Nick..." This time it is Maya who throws her arms around Nick, holding him as tightly as she can—as though he might disappear if she lets go.

"You've always got a home and a family here, Maya." Nick whispers the words in her ear. "Maybe not the family you deserve—"

"I'm incredibly honored to have this family, you big idiot—"

"But a family none-the-less." Nick's hand strokes her hair once more. "So don't you forget about us, okay?"

"Never." Drawing a deep breath, Maya pulls back and gives Nick a watery, soggy, very honest smile. "Never ever. I'm going to keep talking to you all the time, and I'm going to make sure that Pearly gets to come down and see you and the city all the time, and we're going to have the best family ever. Right?"

"That's the spirit." Nick flicks his index finger against the tip of her nose. "You already look more like my Maya."

"I'm _always_ your Maya. No matter what else is going on, I'm going to be on your side. Just like you'll be on mine." Taking his hand, Maya gives it a brief squeeze. "Thanks, Nick. I feel... a lot better now."

"Good. Maybe that means we can all get some sleep." Nick yawns as he reaches over to turn out the light again.

"Wouldn't want you turning into a pumpkin, after all." Blinking as her eyes adjust to the darkness again, Maya hopes that he can hear the smile in her voice.

"I don't know, pretty soon you'll be old and pumpkin-material too."

"But I'll never be as pumpkiny as you!"

"Age gaps mean less and less the older you get!"

"Just keep telling yourself that, Nick." Maya pauses with her hand on the guest bedroom door. "And... really... thank you."

"Just take care of yourself, Maya. That's all that your family wants."

She falls asleep turning that sentiment over in her head, and it feels like the first really restful sleep she's had in over a month.

XXX

She sets her Steel Samurai up in the Master of Kurain's office.

Some of her older aunts and cousins protest—a few even directly to her face—but Maya refuses to back down. When one goes so far as to try moving the poor Samurai into Maya's room, Maya simply puts it right back where she wants it.

It isn't prominently displayed. It's just sitting in the back, on a window sill, amidst a collection of more traditional Kurain objects. But it is on display, is somewhere she can turn and see it if she needs, and she's content with that.

And if others see it and underestimate her because they think it's childish... well, she has been proving people who underestimate her wrong for years now.

She keeps up her daily phone conversations with Nick, and makes plans for when he can next have Pearly down for a visit. She will go with Pearly when she can—and she will ensure that there _are_ times when she can, no matter how much others want to monopolize her time—but she will not be able to go every time. That's all right, though. Nick and home are only ever a phone call away, and at least she will be making sure Pearly gets to see more of the world than she has so far.

If she can't at least do _that_ as the Master of Kurain, what is she good for?

A lot, she finds as the days stretch out and she settles into her place—finds that she _likes_ her place here, provided it doesn't come at the cost of everything she has had before.

She is the Master of Kurain, medium between the living and the dead, proof that there is still magic and mystery in the world.

And she is Maya Fey, legal assistant, Steel Samurai fan, family-by-choice of Phoenix Wright and everyone who falls into Nick's fierce orbit.

If anyone can't handle that, well, she'll just have to use her legal skills to cry objection and prove them wrong.


End file.
